Hard, clay, grass & astroturf: Tennis court surface guide

There are a few different types of tennis court surface that you can play on, the main ones being – hard, clay, grass and astroturf courts. 

Each court has its own characteristics and can benefit different types of playing style. 

Check out our breakdown of each tennis court surface – including the ball bounce, favoured game style and different ways to move on court. 

Tennis court surfaces key differences: 

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Hard courts

For the majority of tennis in Britain you’ll find tarmac courts as they are great for all weather conditions and are easy to play on. 

You also have acrylic hard courts as well, like you’d see at the US Open and Australian Open. 

How does the ball bounce on a hard court? 

On hard courts the ball has what we call a ‘true’ bounce, which means it will bounce exactly how you would expect. 

This makes it easier to predict where each shot is going to land and how it will bounce, so you can quickly react in the rally. 

The paint used on the court can impact the speed of the court as well. The more sand in the paint, the more grip it has on the ball, and the slower the court will play. 

What type of game style suits a hard court? 

Hard courts tend to favour an all-court game – being able to cover the baseline and get into the net when you have the opportunity.  

On a hard court, it’s always a good strategy to play to your strengths and the areas of your game where you feel you can be most effective. 

It’s also good to throw in some variety. With the bounce being more predictable, giving your opponent different spins and bounces to look at will keep them on their toes. 

How should you move on a hard court? 

Hard courts offer more grip than clay, grass and astroturf, which makes it easier to push off and change direction quickly. 

Clay courts

Artificial clay is becoming more popular in Britain. These courts are on an astroturf that has a clay and sand blend of material on top – it means you can play on it all year around, even when it gets colder in the winter, and it stays the same. 

Clay courts have a loose surface on top which impacts your movement (you will slide and change direction a bit slower) and how the ball reacts when it bounces. 

How does the ball bounce on clay courts? 

When playing tennis on a clay court, the ball will generally kick up and bounce higher – especially if it’s hit with top spin. This is because the surface is gritty so the ball bounce ‘grips’ more. 

Generally, clay courts will play slower than other surfaces, which makes for lots of long rallies. 

What type of game style suits clay courts? 

As the ball tends to sit up more and plays slower on clay courts, you tend to have lots of rallies at the baseline with fewer direct winners. 

The clay tends to favour players who like to play aggressively from the back of the court and like to hit the ball with heavy top spin and high net clearance. People who are good movers tend to like clay courts. 

It can be a more physical surface to play on, and you have to play high percentage tennis to stay in the points. Players tend to stand further behind the baseline to account for the higher bounce and give themselves a bit more time to deal with inconsistent bounces. 

How should you move on a clay court? 

The loose surface of a clay court makes it harder to stop and change direction. That’s why you see more players sliding on the clay to help push off again after hitting a shot. This helps you slow down after running to a shot and allows you to get back in position quicker. 

As it’s a more unnatural movement, it’s worth spending more time practicing on court, so you feel more comfortable next time you’re having a hit or playing a match. 

You can get specific clay court trainers with a larger herringbone to gain some extra grip. Generally, this surface is more forgiving on knee joints as a lot of energy goes into the sliding action instead of into your knee joints. 

Grass and astroturf tennis courts 

While they are two slightly different surfaces, grass and astroturf courts share a lot of the same characteristics in terms of speed, ball bounce and favourable game styles. 

How does the ball bounce on grass and astroturf tennis courts? 

Both grass and astroturf tennis courts give the ball a lower bounce, and it can come skidding through quickly – especially on a wet astroturf court. 

This makes it harder to predict, and you have to have quick reactions in the rallies. 

What type of game style suits grass and astroturf tennis courts? 

Grass and astroturf tennis courts suit a more aggressive game style and those with a big serve. 

As the ball stays low, skids through and can be more unpredictable – you want to try and get on top of the points early and avoid more baseline exchanges, where it can be harder to react to the ball. 

You’ll see lots of players come into the net to avoid the low bounce and stay aggressive early on. 

The serve can also be really effective if you have a big, flat first serve, or you can hit it wide with slice. 

Slice is also a useful weapon in rallies because it slides on the bounce, therefore it keeps the ball even lower than the usual bounce.  

How should you move on a grass or astroturf tennis court? 

Grass and astroturf courts are somewhere inbetween hard and clay courts. They aren’t loose on the surface like clay, but don’t have the same amount of grip as hard courts. 

While you wouldn’t slide as much as clay – it can be useful on grass and astroturf when you’re moved out of position, especially when the conditions are slightly more slippery. 

You can also get specific grass court trainers with pimples on them to help you get more grip on the court.